State analysis slams high-speed rail plans

A state analyst's report slams the state's high-speed rail project and calls for delays in construction and oversight by Caltrans instead of the High Speed Rail Authority. COURTESY CALIFORNIA HIGH SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY

A day after receiving a $300 million boost in funding, the state's high-speed rail plans got a heavy dose of bad news Tuesday in the form of a scathing critique from the state's independent analyst.

The California Legislative Analyst's Office, which performs independent reviews of state governmental actions, called for shifting oversight and delaying the first phase of the project, scheduled to break ground next year.

Among the recommendations, the report calls for:

• The state Legislature to reject the $185 million in state funding the project calls for this year for consultants and public outreach and approve only $7 million.

• Passing legislation this session that would shift responsibility from the High Speed Rail Authority to the California Department of Transportation.

• Re-evaluating where the first segment of the line is built – perhaps a more densely populated area with enough ridership to financially support the line.

The first phase of the rail line, which would whisk passengers from Anaheim to San Francisco at speeds of up to 220 mph, would be built from Bakersfield to Madera.

The rail authority has about $3.5 billion in place from federal funds and about $6.3 billion overall. In total, the line has been estimated to cost $43 billion.

But Tuesday's report determines that those costs might have risen substantially since that 2009 estimate. It also warns that funding could be too reliant on politics and could be cut off at any time based on whether leaders support high-speed rail. The $300 million California received Monday, for instance, came from the federal government after Florida leaders rejected the funds as wasteful spending.

The report recommends that the state's Legislature slow down the project until some of the concerns it identifies can be resolved.

Ultimately, the decision lies with state legislators whether to delay next year's start of construction, set for September 2012.

The High Speed Rail Authority is chaired by former Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle. He didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

Roelof van Ark, chief executive officer of the rail authority, said in a statement: "I believe this project has been successful thus far because it has strived to operate more like a private business than a typical government bureaucracy.

"I hope to work with the Legislature to come up with solutions that benefit all Californians and allow us to move forward with the successful completion of the state's high-speed rail system, and we hope that this report at least encourages healthy discussion toward that goal."

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